The Seven Years' War was the world's first global conflict, spanning five continents and the critical sea lanes that connected them. This book is the fullest account ever written of the French navy's role in the hostilities. It is also the most complete survey of both phases of the war: the French and Indian War in North America (1754-60) and the Seven Years' War in Europe (1756-63), which are almost always treated independently. By considering both phases of the war from every angle, award-winning historian Jonathan R. Dull shows not only that the two conflicts are so interconnected that neither can be fully understood in isolation but also that traditional interpretations of the war are largely inaccurate. His work also reveals how the French navy, supposedly utterly crushed, could have figured so prominently in the War of American Independence only fifteen years later.

 

A comprehensive work integrating diplomatic, naval, military, and political history, The French Navy and the Seven Years' War thoroughly explores the French perspective on the Seven Years' War. It also studies British diplomacy and war strategy as well as the roles played by the American colonies, Spain, Austria, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, and Portugal. As this history unfolds, it becomes clear that French policy was more consistent, logical, and successful than has previously been acknowledged, and that King Louis XV's conduct of the war profoundly affected the outcome of America's subsequent Revolutionary War.

Jonathan R. Dull is a senior associate editor of The Papers of Benjamin Franklin series and author of the award-winning history The French Navy and American Independence: A Study of Arms and Diplomacy, 1774-1787.

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Preface

1. 1748-1754 An Uneasy Peace

   The War of the Austrian Succession and the Decline of Franco-British Relations

   The French Navy and Its Legacy of Failure

   From Competition to Crisis in North America

2. 1755 Countering the British Assault

   Louis XV and His Council of State

   Negotiations Fail and Both Sides Prepare for War

   The Unsuccessful Attacks by Boscawen and Braddock

   The Naval War Widens

   The Question of Hanover

   Preparing the French Navy for War

3. 1756 Franch Takes the Offensive

   Victory at Minorca

   The Capture of Oswego

   Machault's Accomplishments

   The First Stage of the Diplomatic Revolution

   The Opening of Hostilities in Central Europe

4. 1757 To the Edge of Victory

   The King Sacrifices Machault

   New France Spared

   Disaster Deferred

   The Second Treaty of Versailles

   The Convention of Klosterzeven

   Rossbach, Leuthen, and Their Consequences

5. 1758 A Year of Depression

   Louisbourg Lost, Canada Again Spared

   The French Navy's Other Commitments

   On the Defensive in Germany

   The Dismissal of Bernis

6. 1759 The Annus Horribilis

   New Arrangements with Austria and Plans to Invade Britian

   The Caribbean and the Carnatic

   The Assault on Canada

   Continental War and Diplomacy

   Financial Crisis, Naval Disaster, and the King's Personal Loss

7. 1760 Adversity and Revival

   Discussions at The Hague

   The French Navy's Reduced Budget

   The End of French Canada

   The Revival of the French Army in Germany

8. 1761 Saving the Navy's Future

   Preserving the Initiative in Germany

   The Opening of Negotiations

   France Loses Peace but Gains Another Ally

   Spain Enters the War

   Choiseul Becomes Naval Minister

9. 1762 Military Failures, Diplomatic Success

   An Inglorious Final Campaign

   The Search for Peace Resumes

   The Best Peace Possible

10. Epilogue Toward a New War, 1763-1774

   The Duc de Choiseul and the Rebuilding of the French Navy

   The "Secret du Roi" and the American Revolution

 

Appendix A: French Ships of the Line, 1 January 1744

Appendix B French Ships of the Line, 1 January 1749

Appendix C: French Ships of the Line and Frigates, 1 January 1755

Appendix D: Order of Battle, 1 June 1755